01/30/2025
Describing the history of the United Way organization in the latter part of the nineteenth century, two separate but important historical trends were developing. Both of these trends were for the most part a response to the effects of industrialization, the rapid growth of urban areas, increases in the level and degree of poverty, and the expanding number of local charities attempting to help the needy and poor. The first trend was an effort to design and use a more “scientific approach” to efficiently and effectively organize the many local and overlapping charities created to help the poor. the creation of local Charity Organization Societies (sometimes called Associated Charities) in urban areas. The second trend was a more “scientific approach” to coordinate the many and diverse charitable fund-raising efforts directed at wealthy contributors and companies. The outcome of this effort eventually resulted in what came to be known as “federated fund-raising.” Over time, these two initiatives evolved, expanded, and then merged into what was known for a long time as Community Chest and Council organizations, later the United Way of America and today United Way Worldwide.
If the United Way was founded to respond to social injustice and the effects of industrialization on the poor, then why are they silent on today's fascist and discriminatory policies? It is likely because they fear the loss of corporate donors who support those policies.
